ND

North Dakota Fish Stocking

Reports, schedules, species, and official links from North Dakota Game & Fish Department

Official source verified Recent stocking records Source reviewed July 19, 2026

Quick answer

Official report: North Dakota Game & Fish Department's North Dakota Where to Fish stocking reports is the source of record for North Dakota stocking information.

Commonly documented species: Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Muskellunge, Tiger Muskellunge, and Fathead Minnow.

Typical timing: Records are updated as production and lake conditions allow, with winterkill driving some restocking decisions. A lake's report may combine recent work with many years of history.

What anglers should know

North Dakota embeds stocking history inside each lake's Where to Fish record rather than offering one long public table. The system combines contours, access, fisheries status, and lake-specific releases, which makes it useful once the target water is known.

Prairie lakes can receive pike, perch, walleye, and forage fish after winterkill or new-water development, while Missouri River reservoirs support salmon and coolwater programs. Community ponds add trout and panfish opportunities near population centers.

Check the official North Dakota report

North Dakota Where to Fish stocking reports is the source of record. Agency schedules can change for weather, water conditions, hatchery operations, or access, so confirm there before driving.

Open North Dakota Where to Fish stocking reports

How this state publishes data

Official database source verified; no automated normalizer is enabled for this source format yet. We do not show an empty table as evidence that no fish were stocked.

When stocking happens in North Dakota

Records are updated as production and lake conditions allow, with winterkill driving some restocking decisions. A lake's report may combine recent work with many years of history.

Reading tip

Search the lake first, open Lake Details, then the Stocking Report; species, adult/fingerling stage, and year should be read together.

Fish stocked in North Dakota

North Dakota's lake reports contain sport-fish and forage-fish stockings by year, count, and life stage. Species vary strongly by individual lake and winterkill history.

  • Walleye
  • Northern Pike
  • Yellow Perch
  • Black Crappie
  • Bluegill
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Smallmouth Bass
  • Channel Catfish
  • Rainbow Trout
  • Brown Trout
  • Chinook Salmon
  • Muskellunge
  • Tiger Muskellunge
  • Fathead Minnow

Where to start looking

These are useful geographic starting points, not a promise that every water is stocked this season.

  • Missouri River reservoirs
  • Devils Lake region
  • prairie pothole lakes
  • Red River valley
  • community fishing waters

North Dakota stocking questions

Where can I find the latest North Dakota fish stocking report?

Use the North Dakota Where to Fish stocking reports published by North Dakota Game & Fish Department. This page links directly to that official source and labels our own records as a dated snapshot, not a live feed.

What fish are stocked in North Dakota?

North Dakota stocking sources and program materials identify Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Muskellunge, Tiger Muskellunge, and Fathead Minnow. North Dakota's lake reports contain sport-fish and forage-fish stockings by year, count, and life stage. Species vary strongly by individual lake and winterkill history.

When does North Dakota stock fish?

Records are updated as production and lake conditions allow, with winterkill driving some restocking decisions. A lake's report may combine recent work with many years of history.